The demand for better-for-you products is driving shifts across the food industry, prompting demands for premium ingredients and transparent messaging. Consumers are also embracing bold flavors, premiumization, and redefined notions of value, as noted in the 2025 Specialty Food Industry Outlook Report, which FI co-authored.
The 2025 Winter Fancy Food Show highlighted the rapid evolution of specialty food. From protein-packed innovations and gut-friendly fermented snacks to cacao alternatives, the show underscored how brands are redefining indulgence and health.
The quest to lower one’s biological age, which reflects physiological health rather than years lived, could soon reshape the health and wellness landscape, driven by advancements in aging research. The F&B industry has a unique opportunity to innovate products that support longevity.
As CPGs can no longer guarantee price increases as a surefire way to maintain positive margins, they’re looking to other solutions. Premiumization and brand acquisitions are two methods stakeholders will leverage in the coming year.
Despite recent challenges, the plant-based sector is primed for growth in some respects, with opportunities to innovate through functional ingredients, whole-food formulations, and clean-label transparency.
In the new-look world of beverages (alcoholic; non-alcoholic; functional; restorative; hybrid; etc.), the right product can ignite a sector.
The latest FI news podcast notes that major restaurant chains are reducing menu options to prepare for tough financial times.
Menu innovations are a key part of Shake Shack’s strategy, as CEO Randy Garutti noted in the chain’s latest earnings call. Though it has become well-known for its ShackBurgers, crinkle-cut fries and milkshakes, the chain …
